Nana's Spritz Cookies

These are the best tasting Spritz Cookies you will ever have.  However, using a cookie press takes a little getting used to.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together (use a mixer)
1 cup Butter or Shortening at room temperature
1  3 Ounce package of Cream cheese

Add gradually
1 cup of Sugar

Beat in
1 Egg yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind

Sift together
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients a little at a time into wet ingredients.  Once completely mixed together,  fill your cookie press. ( you can divide dough and color it if wanted) Form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets.  They will not spread while baking.  Decorate with sugar, cinnamon-sugar, or chopped almonds.

Bake 12- 15 minutes, just until brown on bottom edges.  Remove at once from cookie sheets.

Scallops with Citrus Glaze

1 to 1&1/2 pounds of Sea Scallops (not Bay Scallops)
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Minced Garlic Cloves
1/2 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated Orange Peel

Salt & Pepper the scallops. Saute scallops in 1 tablespoon of the oil until firm and opaque. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, cook garlic in remaining oil for 1 minute. Add the juices, soy sauce, and orange peel. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until thickened. Serve over the scallops.

Bordentown Candied Peel

This confection was very popular in the eighteenth century.

Ingredients
2 cups of grapefruit, lemon, or orange peels,
packed
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
fine sugar

Instructions
Remove the peel in 1/8- to 1/4 inch-wide strips. Avoid the bitter white pith. Place the peel in a stainless steel saucepan and cover with cool water. Boil slowly for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, let stand for 5 minutes, and drain. Repeat this process twice more. Cook the sugar in the water until it dissolves. Add the peel and cook until the syrup is almost absorbed and the peel is translucent

Shake fine sugar onto waxed paper and roll the peel in the sugar until it is well coated. Dry on a wire rack.

Notes
This was given to me by our neighbor at Bordentown in 2007 and was a big hit with those of us who were the

Citrus Slice an Bake Cookies

Something a little different to mix in with the Christmas cookies:

To make the cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
l 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Butter,
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 egg
2 teaspoons lemon extract

To make the rind:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 drops yellow food coloring
2 drops red food coloring

For cookies, in large mixer bowl combine all cookie ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well nixed, 2 to 3 minutes. Mold dough into 2 rolls each 6 inches long. Make longer rolls if you want smaller  slices, but you may need to make more rind if you shrink the size of the cookie. Wrap in waxed paper; refrigerate at least 2 hours.

For rind, in medium jar combine granulated sugar and yellow food coloring;cover. Shake until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove half colored sugar; add red food coloring to remaining sugar. Cover; shake until well
blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Heat oven to 375°. Cut each roll in half lengthwise; brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Roll 2 halves in yellow sugar and 2 halves in orange sugar. Cut rolls into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.